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Bird eating my bees

Noticed a mess on a bench near the entrance to the hive and another one under a branch of a tree about 2 feet away. At first I just thought some birds had taken shelter from the rain.. But then I noticed the bird mess was littered with bee bodies Generally just the back 1/2.. Stingers still in them.
Then I saw a small yellow bird swooping in and catching bees in the air and then sitting on a branch and eating them.
Never noticed this type of bird before, but it is really eating well.
Piles of bee remains in a couple of places. Quite a few actually...

Re: Bird eating my bees

That is very dangerous to you bees and your business. Bee-eaters always prefer to eat honeybees since the latter have better taste than the other bees.What is more scary is that if the breed of the bee-eater in the one that can eat 250 bees in one day. Don't let those birds settle at your backyard where your bees are near.

Re: Bird eating my bees

Originally Posted by virgiea68

That is very dangerous to you bees and your business. Bee-eaters always prefer to eat honeybees since the latter have better taste than the other bees.What is more scary is that if the breed of the bee-eater in the one that can eat 250 bees in one day. Don't let those birds settle at your backyard where your bees are near.

Re: Bird eating my bees

did it look like this little guy (girl really). if so she is probably passing through on the way south and will be gone in a couple of days. Doubt she can do any real damage to your bees. I believe true bee eaters are in the old world (africa, europe and asia) and do not reside on the North Shore

Re: Bird eating my bees

Actually herding cats would be quite the thing. I've got a couple of ferals stalking the fenced apiary lot, and I couldn't catch them to save my life, but food and shelter and stuff to hunt are great motivators. I've also got a redtailed hawk hunting that lot, but he or she prefers sparrows to bees.

Stuck in Texas. Learning Permaculture in drought, guess I will teach permaculture in drought. The bees are still alive.